27 videos, step by step, beginner cane workshop
What people are saying about this tutorial.
jennifer rose
Just finished this first workshop on how to make canes, and I must say I learned so much. This is exactly what I have been looking for, someone who could explain cane making in a step by step that process that I could replicate. I watched the videos, went into my studio and began to create all of the canes Alice showed. I finally have results I can be proud of, and I say thank you so much for doing this workshop. My only question now is when do we get more workshops. If you are only going to take one online class let it be this workshop. Thank you Alice for your hard work, and your dedication to helping others learn the joys of polymer clay.
Bracelets by Randee M Ketzel - Owner Alice Stroppel
Look what came in the mail today!!!!! These beautiful crazy wonderful bracelet from Randee M. Ketzel and they are actually mine now!
Seriously, where else but in the polymer clay community would you find such generosity? Randee M. Ketzel better known as RMKDesign was one of the first to try the Stroppel cane. Her efforts were nothing short of extremely cool!!!!
I commented on the photos on her Flickr site and she said this to me, “Alice, I love this!! So fun to do–and finally I’m not feeling guilty about all my failed canes anymore–you’ve given them purpose. If I can ever return the favor, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Weeeelllll I said, “uhmmmmm let’s see…..I should ask for everyone’s first born creation from their first SC….yeah that’s it. Just think what a collection I could have, man……. the vision. lol”
She asked for my address and I said, “oh no I couldn’t” as I sent it to her. And today, in the mail, two babies came to live at my house.
They are beautiful and funky and very cool. They are some of the very first pieces made after I posted my video. Thank you Randee, I’ll treasure these forever. Plus…..I’ll wear the heck out of them along with telling the story. I always say the story is as important as the rest.
Randee, I can’t tell you how happy these made me. Thank you again.
I know I said I wasn’t going to post today, but I wanted to say Happy 4th of July to everyone here in America. It’s a grand day for our country so celebrate and enjoy.
Plus…….I finished this girl last night and wanted to share.
When I was little my sister had a set of paperdolls that she drew herself. She created a girl and a guy and the girl had the most wonderful clothes. I loved the way they looked and wanted so badly to be able to draw just like my big sister. The paperdolls aren’t around anymore, I wish they were I’d love to look at them again.
When I made this girl I was reminded of my wish to be able to draw my own paperdolls, somehow I feel like that little girl wish from years ago kind of came true. The difference is her clothes are made from polymer clay and can’t be removed. Still having fun here and fulfilling dreams.
When I tell you I have too many ideas in my head, it’s the truth. I was inspired and reminded by Vicky in my class the other day that I love playing with color on faces. I love her faces.
Vicky
She said she was inspired by a face cane I did and an artist friend of hers. Here’s a bracelet I made with that face cane.
I was inspired when making the face cane by a fabulous watercolor artist friend of mine, Janet F. King. Here’s a sample of her work. Look at all the different colors in her faces.
Boys in the Band - Janet F. King
And so it goes, inspiration is around us everyday and in everything. The problem is finding the time to execute all the ideas. Which brings me back to the first picture on this post. This is a painting with pen and ink and markers on canvas coated with polymer clay, then accented with polymer clay canes. The layering inspiration came from a Kathleen Dustin class.
Combining lots of ideas got me here and I really, really, really like doing these and can’t wait to make more.
I was going to wait to post this next idea until tomorrow, but since it’s the 4th of July, I probably will be outside all day so I thought I’d go ahead and post it now.
I am just as excited about these women as I am about the canvas woman. I’ve cut out the shape from polymer clay, used pen and ink and markers, then added polymer clay canes again. I’m excited! It’s why I love polymer clay, the possibilities are truly endless.
I ‘ve been doing lots of new pieces involving the mosaic technique that I share with you when you sign up for my newsletter. I’ve made this fish and placed it on the underside of a 6×6 plate. It will make a perfect desert plate or a catch all for a dresser.
I have other things I’m working on that I want to share with you soon. Just wanted you to know I’m busy working at my clay table.
This is a bracelet made from Zentangle canes I made several months ago. I don’t know why I haven’t made more in all this time, too busy making other things I guess. But a tutorial is on my list. I’ve listed this one in my Etsy Shop.
I’ve also listed black and white cuff in the picture below in my Etsy shop. I don’t care how many bracelets I make like this, they still continue to sell well.
They’re fun and bold and really stand out with a pair of black jeans and a crisp white shirt, my favorite look still.
I was so happy to find this glass company, Behrenberg Glass, because they sell plates without a “foot” on them. Making them perfect for decoupage or glass paint or ……….. polymer clay mosaics like my fish in video that you get when you sign up for my newsletter.
As you can see, I didn’t use a fish mosaic, but something I started a couple of months ago, using up old cane. I just couldn’t wait to make something new, I wanted to see how this would work……NOW!
So here you see the mosaic after I’ve baked it and popped the plate off. The great part about this is now I can use it without the plate, or if I want to be able to put food on it I can glue it to the back of the glass. Cool!
After I transferred the design to the back side of the plate and molded it to fit, I trimmed it and backed it with another thick layer of clay before I baked it.
I still have lots of playing around with this idea before I finished, I’ll share with you what I learn. If you make something this way, please share your pictures.
Here’s another cane I made last year sometime and couldn’t ever figure out exactly how to finish it. I did know however, that I wanted to make something for the wall and I had already sliced and baked the whole cane, so like the canes from yesterdays post, I’ve moved them out of the shoe box and onto my wall.
Again this is just for me, so I give myself permission to do whatever I want. 🙂 And I’m having fun just playing around with foam core and cheap frames. Who knows all this playing around could just lead to something exceptional……or not….but the key word here is FUN! Go have some today.
Oh and I am still working on the idea I told you about yesterday. It’s a way to use the mosaic that you made from my free video you watched when you signed up for my newsletter. You did make something didn’t you? *g*
I’ve had this bracelet staring at me for months. It had plain white places waiting for drawings. I sold the one that was featured in a Etsy Treasury and decided I’d better get busy and finish this one. It’s for sale in my Etsy Shop.
Here’s a post I did months ago featuring the process and where I think I got my inspiration, from my Dad of course.
Now I think I have about 4 ideas in my head and today I’m going to get one of them in motion, I just need to decide which one. The thing is, even if I make a decision, I don’t always end up where I thought I would. But that’s the exciting part even though it still leaves me with my original idea still undone. Ah, what a life.
I’ve produced quite a few things in black and white in the last week or so. Here’s another bracelet going to my Etsy Shop. Black and white is very popular and continues to be a good seller with or without one of my faces.
The little black dress, black slacks, suits and t-shirt will always be a go to staple in our closets. I like working with graphic polymer clay elements and creating these pieces that are bold and eye catching. I’ve used both canes and extruded snakes and dots for this bracelet.
I want to thank everyone on my email list for all the super responses to this last issue. Thanks you guys!!!
I was off on another mission today. Had visions of cat dancing in my head. Here’s just one that I’m listing on Etsy tomorrow, too tired tonight. I love mixing colors. More pictures will be on my Etsy site. I love fantasy and cats and color, can you tell? I also made several face bracelets too. A good day.
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